Hygiene is currently a significant civic duty, but bathing is a cultural institution steeped in tradition. An exhibition delves into the bathhouses of history, revealing insights into power and politics.
Α wагm ƄаtҺ сап woгk woпdeгѕ. TҺe апсіeпt Eɡурtіапѕ kпew іt; tҺe апсіeпt ɡгeekѕ ѕwoгe Ƅу іt. апd tҺe гᴜіпѕ of гomап ƄаtҺѕ агe а exсeрtіoпаɩ teѕtіmoпу to tҺeіг ƄаtҺіпɡ сᴜɩtᴜгe.
Since then, bathing has become more than just about cleansing ourselves. When we explore the bathrooms and bathhouses of history, especially through the lens of art, not only do we encounter one of mankind’s oldest cultural technologies, but we also gain insights into a society’s power, class, and gender dynamics. “Bathing has always been a social matter,” says Hendrik Bündge, curator of a new exhibition on the topic. “And it is still ideologically, religiously, socially, and culturally charged to this day.”
The exhibition titled “Körper. Räume. Macht. Eine Kulturgeschichte des Badezimmers” (Bodies. Spaces. Power. A cultural history of the bathroom) at the Kunsthalles bath-bath, prepared in collaboration with the Museum in Marseille, showcases works from all eras of art. From an antique ceramic bowl painted with a naked youth to a medieval depiction of women in an animated conversation during a bath; from a Renaissance bathroom painting to a Japanese Netsuke figure of a mother bathing her baby, the comprehensive collection transcends time and geography.
The exhibition features a version of Jacques-Louis David’s famous painting “The Death of Marat,” alongside everyday objects such as old barber bowls, bath heaters, and hammam sandals, as well as works by well-known artists such as Albrecht Dürer, David Hockney, Joseph Beuys, and Thomas Demand.
For his photographic work, Demand reconstructed the place where the politician Uwe Barschel was found dead—a bathtub.
From antiquity to the present, “Washing the body as a social practice,” says curator Bündge, “is as old as mankind itself.”
Throughout history, cleansing rituals have been about more than just hygiene, health, and well-being. The ancient bathhouse was considered a social meeting point and a suitable place for business: “Political contacts were made and negotiations were held there,” Bündge told DW. The Greeks doused the bodies of steamed men with cold water, while the Romans favored a warm soak. “Even if some feared for their manhood in too much heat.” During French absolutism, water was avoided for fear of epidemics, opting instead for small bottles and powder jars.
Over the centuries, especially in art, the male gaze has focused on the representation of the female form. Representations of naked women are a constant across historical and cultural contexts, but why is it that subjects of art history’s nudes are consistently predominantly female? “In the past 700 years of art history,” says Bündge, “this has to do with the fact that male painters painted the naked female body, and male viewers liked to hang these pictures up.” That only began to change in the 20th century.
